iWorld
JioHotstar yanks pricing upwards for India’s streaming addicts
MUMBAI: JioHotstar has decided that India’s binge-watching habit needs a financial reality check. From 28 January, the streaming behemoth is jacking up prices across its Super and Premium tiers whilst simultaneously dangling monthly plans like carrots for those unwilling to commit long-term.
The damage? Premium’s annual subscription vaults from Rs 1,499 to Rs 2,199—a 47 per cent surge that might make even cricket fanatics reconsider their priorities. Super’s yearly plan climbs from Rs 899 to Rs 1,099, whilst quarterly rates get a similar nudge upwards. Mobile users clutching their handsets dodge the bullet on existing plans but gain a new Rs 79 monthly option for the budget-conscious.
JioHotstar’s justification? Indians have apparently abandoned squinting at phones in favour of proper television viewing. Large-screen consumption has skyrocketed, the company claims, prompting this “alignment” with how households actually watch content. Translation: if you’re streaming on the sofa rather than on the bus, you’ll pay more for the privilege.
Hollywood content, previously available across tiers, now sits firmly behind the Super and Premium paywalls for new subscribers. Mobile devotees must shell out extra for their Tinseltown fix through a paid add-on—because nothing says customer service like nickel-and-diming your loyal base.
Existing subscribers can dodge the increases by keeping auto-renewal switched on, a clever bit of customer retention disguised as generosity. JioStar SvoD business head and chief marketing officer Sushant Sreeram, said the price hikes reflect “flexibility” and “premium storytelling.”
With a billion downloads on Google Play and 450m monthly active users, JioHotstar clearly reckons it has India hooked. The platform’s betting that viewers are too invested in their streaming habits to jump ship. Whether that gamble pays off—or whether rival platforms start circling like sharks—remains to be seen. One thing’s certain: India’s streaming wars just got pricier.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
